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My home is 17 years old. I have had to repair 4 pin hole water leaks above ground in the last 6 years. The leak just starts in the pipe, not a soldered joint. Behind the dry wall or brick. No nail pricks or dissimilar metals near the leaks. The copper piping is under the slab then comes up to the users. I'm afraid of a leak under the house that may come in the future. Any ideas? Roy

Water Well

Within 5 miles of the plant that I work for. We have deep well injections into the earth. Spotts, the pin holes are at least 12" from any turn or fitting. I have 1/2 inch ID copper pipe in the house. Muskie, I was thinking about a bad lot of tubing. What's the differance in the type M or L tubing? I don't have a water softener. The last thing I want is to have to tunnel under the house to fix a leak. Roy

Spotts, have you seen tubing wore out by friction? Never heard that before, but there's lots of things I don't know. [/B]

Yup. Theres a whole little town here called "Log Lane Village". My Grandad and his brothers plumbed alot of it. To get the bid they took the service to ½" right away. Then 3/8" & 1/4" soft copper branches. The whole routte to the outside faucets would just wear out. Took around 20 years or less. That water had Manganese too.

My doctor gave me six months to live, but when I couldn't pay the bill he gave me six months more.
Walter Matthau

A pinhole isn't the size of a pin. It's a whole section of copper becoming thinner and thinner until it's as thick as rollin paper. You just cant see it until a hole appears, but all the copper needs to go. Whatever ate it wont even touch PEX. It's the best advice I have.

My doctor gave me six months to live, but when I couldn't pay the bill he gave me six months more.
Walter Matthau

I'm not a big fan of PEX tubing. I would look at where the tubing comes through the concrete and see if it was sleeved. Concrete has a way of eating through the tubing. If it's not, I wouldn't worry about it till it leaks, then chisel out the concrete and repair and sleeve the tubing before recementing.

Around these parts we only use type L tube for potable water, type M for hydronic heating, and type K under ground and under concrete.

I'm guessing your house was plumbed in M tube and the plumber probably used an excessive amount of flux. Some fluxes are highly corrosive, Oatey #5 in the red can is the best flux I have found for lead free solder. Is there any green corrosion on the tube? If so, check those areas. I'd be glad to talk you through any plumbing problems.